Hiatt Career Center virtualizes all activity for students and alumni

The Hiatt Career Center has virtualized services to continue serving the Brandeis community

Photo/Prostock-studio

Brandeis University’s Hiatt Career Center continues to serve all students and alumni, with the center having already adapted its operations to the social-distancing necessitated by COVID-19.

Hiatt has virtualized all events, created a career FAQ page on its website and curated a series of online tools that will help develop or certify users in new skills. It’s an opportunity for students and alumni who may find themselves wanting to upgrade skills for whatever comes next in the economy — and maybe some extra time in which to put in that work.

“Shifting our operation from in-person service to virtual is something we started preparing for a while ago,” Hiatt Career Center director Jon Schlesinger told BrandeisNOW. “While we’ve had to take precautions on campus against this virus, we’ve worked to ensure all our community has access to Hiatt staff, whether it’s on the phone or through video.”

Hiatt’s staff works directly with students, develops employer connections and facilitates recruiting events, networking opportunities, volunteering and alumni engagement.

The center offers a variety of services, from interview coaching and resume building to connecting students and alumni with job and internship opportunities.

Career service

 Staff at Hiatt are busy arranging for students to virtually engage with employers who were originally planning to come to campus for recruiting events. Staff are also collecting student resumes to share with prospective employers.

“It’s a very fluid situation,” Schlesinger said. “We are pulling together resources the best we can. We want to make sure our students have access to multiple opportunities despite this unsettling time.”

Alumni engagement

Even as it emphasizes the availability of services for students, Hiatt is also reminding alumni that they have access to all of the center’s services for life.

“These services are free for our alumni,” Schlesinger said. “Most appointments with our alumni were already by phone or video, so that’s not a huge change in how we operate. We are here to assist alumni however we can.”

Alumni who can offer career assistance, including internship and job opportunities, for current Brandeis undergrads are asked to contact Hiatt. During this time of uncertainty, the center is also working to connect current undergraduates with alumni who navigated through the 2008 financial crisis.

“We want our current students to hear perspectives from community members who have been in their shoes before,” Schlesinger said. “While it’s a stressful time, our students will have the opportunity to demonstrate to prospective employers that they’re resilient, adaptable and have grit in the face of change. Those are useful skills in this job market.”

Online tools

The Hiatt Career Center is using a program called UniversalClass, which hosts asynchronous online classes that certify students in a wide array of skills including business writing, community development, conflict resolution, fundraising and grant writing.

Users can take the classes at their own pace.

Hiatt will also continue updating and adding career building resources and virtual programming to its website.